writing an article to the membership telling you what an honor it was to be elected to serve as presi- dent of the NCGA. Now, nearly at the end of my term, I can tell you what a privilege it has been to work with such a talented and dedicated group of fellow board members, volunteers and staff. We all benefit from the leadership of Lyn Nelson, our outstanding CEO. We have worked hard and diligently this past year on several very important initiatives for the future of the NCGA. At our retreat in July, our focus was on planning for the future of the organi- zation and how we can better serve our members by developing a five-year strategic plan. The first day focused on reviewing our current mission and vision statements and resulted in a change that addresses our stewardship of the game of golf and our vision to be more creative and in- clusionary in the offerings we make to our member- ship and the golf com- munity at large. The board worked hard and developed a substantial list of goals, programs and objectives for the next five years. Staff will have the responsibil- ity to provide information on these programs and deliver this back to the board for consideration at future board meetings. The

list is full of new programs and ideas to enhance the membership experience, to better serve our golf courses, regular and associate clubs and to function as an advo- cate for golf in our com- munities. This includes the affordability and enjoyment of golf, legislative issues

Poppy Hills is still open and available for play until February 2013. Think about playing your next round of golf at Poppy Hills so you can compare it to your experience at an improved Poppy Hills in 2014.

as they pertain to courses like Sharp Park in Pacifica, taxation on all golf-related services and issues that threaten the availability of water and its escalating costs, which is critical to our industry. The golf course renova-

tion project at Poppy Hills is on schedule to begin in March 2013. Our archi- tect and consultants have been busy finishing the drawings to send out to bid, with five top golf course construction firms competing for the job. All five companies have excellent resumes and are considered leaders in their field. We feel that because of the state of the industry, with construction and renovation of golf courses

at an all-time low, the bids will be competitive, allow- ing us to do more with the resources available. Remember, Poppy Hills

is still open and available for play until February 2013. Think about playing your next round of golf at Poppy Hills so you can compare it to your experi- ence at an improved Poppy Hills in 2014. In reflection of my almost 10 years serving on the NCGA Board and my eight years of service with the Foundation (two years as president), I am most grateful for the opportunity to have served the future of golf through making the game more accessible to kids in Northern California. The work the Foundation does is remarkable. Through our Youth on Course pro- gram we have subsidized more than 200,000 rounds of golf in the past six years. Watching the program grow to include clinics targeted to introduce the game to at-risk kids, internships and scholarships will likely reso- nate as one of our proudest achievements in my service to the organization. There are more than 8,000 chil- dren whose lives we inspire through golf, and this could not be done without the support of the NCGA’s membership, member clubs, the Foundation Board and its Executive Director Adam Heieck, who does an excellent job. Current Foun- dation President Pat Quinn

deserves our gratitude for all that he does for the kids. I thank each and every member of this organiza- tion for your support of the NCGA through your participation and love of the game. It is the greatest game that benefits all those who have the opportunity to play. It has been an honor and privilege to be your president.

The most dramatic change on the new Poppy Hills’ routing occurs on holes 10 through 12, with the 11th hole reversing direction and the 12th becoming a straight par 4.